Jay Jesse Johnson: Man on a Mission Review
Emerging from the shadows of the almost forgotten old school of rock, Jay Jesse Johnson shows how it was done the old way with his latest release Man on a Mission. Because rock is not going to save itself, and today there are few standing for this musical form.
Musically speaking, the album has a fairly consistent sound and the tracks are arranged in a cohesive and coherent way, even skipping some of them the album does not sound in any way disjointed, it is a well-articulated and meticulously thought-out work, from the beginning to the last detail.
“Got to Burn” is the track that serves as the introduction to Man on a Mission, a start with a firm foot and a determined step to make it very clear that Jay Jesse is here, he is ready to rock hard, shake the floor , and blow some minds. This intro contains an initial keyboard sound effect and a distant guitar echo that creates expectations and, boy, exceeds them once the track starts. Just imagine how that’s gonna sound live!
One thing that pleases and appeals to my academic demands is the fact that although there are many riffs and use of distortions on the guitar, these sound incredibly clean and the beat measure is perfectly taken care of, this attention to detail shows that rock is music and that the veterans still possess the distinctive touch and good taste.
The use of the bass as a harmonic support for the second guitar making clear its compositional trends and its musical background. The influence of soul is also well exposed and developed within the musical form that we well know comes from there.
The melodic guitar, for its part, is the great star of the simple orchestration with which the musical form of rock music is organized. The guitar not only sings, howls like a wolf and moans to the rhythm of Jay, but also tells the stories, it is perfectly used as a discursive element, the perfect icing on the cake. Highlights include “No Disguise” which clocks in just over 7 minutes and the punchy “Livin’ On Rock N’ Roll.”
And of course, how about the vocal performance? Mr. Johnson’s voice has the dark and warm but velvety color of soul music. His voice is not scratchy or cut by abrupt breaths. The low notes are quite consistent, while the high notes have a punch without being strident, truly a virtuoso of this musical form.
Speaking of the album cover art, I must say that it reminded me a bit of the covers of the legendary Santana (no comparison) the image is straightforward: a man and everything he needs, his guitar. The blue color and the mosaic in the background add an extra touch of good taste and the concept that characterizes this work.
The Review: 8/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Livin’ on Rock N’ Roll
– Good as Gone
– One Day at a Time
– No Disguise
The Big Hit
– No Disguise
Buy the album: Amazon
I will say Triple J has put out alot of great bluesrock. This new one is one fine album to rock out on. I have been enjoying this album and give it a bog thumbs up! Excellent review Jose!